• Cairncross Capital is an institutional entity operating within Australian private capital markets, focused on the institutionalisation of untapped emerging fund managers.

  • About

    Our unique advantage is that we absorb governance, diligence, reporting, and solve scale complexity upstream so institutional capital can engage with confidence and discipline intact. We exists to provide institutional readiness where it is required, and step back once the scaffolding is established.

    • Governance and responsibility

      Governance, institutional readiness, and capital engagement are structured to preserve fiduciary clarity for allocators and independence for managers. Investment decisions remain with the fund managers. Our involvement is designed to reduce risk, not redistribute it.

    • Philosophy

      Cairncross Capital prioritises investment philosophy over presentation, and consistent performance over speed.

      Decades of executive leadership in institutional capital markets, combined with deep pattern recognition across fund managers and strategies globally, inform how we identify differentiated investment opportunities.

      We selectively partner with exceptional managers whose theses are already sound and differentiated, but whose structures are not yet compatible with institutional capital at scale. Our role is to institutionalise structure, protect investment philosophy, and fortify governance and readiness for market beating performance.

    • Operating assumptions

      Social and environmental impact is fundamental and governed within the same parameters as financial outcomes. Cairncross Capital is finance-first by design.

      Impact is defined by long-term value creation, resilience, and repeatability. Impact discipline is applied through the Cairncross Capital Essentialisation Stewardship Program, which identifies and mitigates material social and environmental risk. This ensures impact rigour is applied in parallel with financial rigour. Any social or environmental impact arises as a consequence of disciplined capital allocation and aligned governance.

  • Team

    Cairncross is led and governed by individuals with experience across institutional capital, investment governance, and emerging manager ecosystems.

    Clear separation is maintained between governance, institutional readiness, and investment decision-making.

    • Rachel Halpern

      Founder & Chief Executive Officer

      Institutional capital markets leader bridging regulation, responsible investment, and GP staking.

      Rachel Halpern is the Founder and CEO of Cairncross Capital. She brings deep experience across responsible investment, regulation, and institutional capital markets.

      Rachel previously led Sustainability at JANA Investment Advisers, advising Australia’s largest institutional investors on ESG integration, stewardship, and impact. Earlier in her career, she held regulatory and legal roles at the UK Financial Conduct Authority and worked across State Street and Westpac, integrating ESG into capital allocation and investment processes.

      Her background combines regulatory fluency, investor insight, and operational execution. Rachel founded Cairncross Capital to address systemic barriers preventing high-quality emerging managers from accessing institutional capital at scale.

    • Renee Grogan

      General Manager, Sustainable Investment Strategy

      Global sustainability strategist embedding ESG and impact into institutional investment practice.

      Renee Grogan leads Sustainable Investment Strategy at Cairncross Capital. She brings over 20 years of global sustainability leadership across investment strategy, ESG integration, and risk.

      Renee has advised institutional investors, fund managers, and entrepreneurs on sustainable value creation. She previously served on JANA’s Sustainability Advisory Council and was a co-founder of a deep-tech sustainable mining company.

      Her experience spans resources, infrastructure, and natural capital sectors. Renee holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and an MBA, and brings a practical, systems-led approach to institutional sustainability.

    • Kyah Bell

      Chief Commercial Officer

      Global investment strategist embedding Indigenous-designed capital frameworks into institutional finance practice.

      Kyah Bell is a proud Wulgurukaba, Bindal, and Juru woman serving as Chief Commercial Officer at Cairncross Capital. With a foundation in design, she brings a systems-led, human-centred approach to capital markets grounded in lived experience, international exposure, and cultural integrity.

      Kyah has raised more than $25 million in private capital, founded three companies, and led cross-sector initiatives across digital health, agriculture, and wellness. She began her venture capital career in the United States, contributing to a wellness-focused fund before launching a global investment vehicle spanning health and agriculture sectors.

      Her work centres Indigenous self-determination and economic empowerment through innovative investment structures. Kyah was appointed to the HSBC Indigenous Advisory Board in recognition of her leadership in financial inclusion, and continues to advance institutional change through co-design and values-aligned capital partnerships.